Nipple retaining means



Oct. 5, 1937. KURKJIAN 2,094,710

7 NIPPLE RETAINING MEANS Filed Oct. 25, 1935 i atented Oct. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES NIPPLE RETAINING MEANS Yer-want H. Kurkjian, Clifton, N. J., assignor to Julius Schmid, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 25, 1935, Serial No. 48,818

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a nipple retaining means, especially adapted for retaining a nipple upon a nursing bottle, and. the principal object of this invention is the production of a simple and efficientmeans for firmly gripping the nipple and preventing the nipple from being accidentally pulled from the neck of the bottle.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple and eflicient nipple retaining means which may be easily attached to the neck of a bottle and which will'efliciently grip the bead of the conventional nipple and firmly hold the nipple against accidental displacement from the bottle.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved nipple retaining means, a portion of the nipple, bottle and retaining means being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the neck of the bottle and nipple showing the nipple removed from the neck of the bottle and out of engagement with the retaining ring, certain parts being shown in section;

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the nipple retaining ring;

Figure 5 is a side elevation partly in section illustrating a modified form of retaining ring shown in connection with .the bottle neck and nipple, and

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of a modifled form of the retaining ring illustrated in Figure 5.

By referring to the drawing, it will be seen that ill designates the bottle which is provided with a neck ll having a conventional bead l2 formed at the outer end of the neck II. A nipple I3 is illustrated having a tit l4 and a widened skirt portion l5, which skirt portion I5 is provided with a thickened head It at its lower end. The nipple I3 is formed of rubber or other suitable flexible material common to the trade.

In. connection with the bottle l and nipple I3 I employ a nipple retaining ring or band I! which preferably consists of a resilient split ring of relatively wide dimension having an outwardly rolled downwardly inclined flange l8, which flange I8 is notched, as at I 9, to facilitate the bending of the flange in an overhanging outwardly and downwardly extending position, such as is illustrated in Figure 4 and also in Figure 1. This split annular ring or band I1 is preferably formed of spring metal and is open, as at 20, to

bottle and the bead portion l6 hooked under the lower edge 2i of the outwardly and downwardly bent flange It, as shown in Figure 1, thereby firmly retaining the nipple l3 upon the neck of the bottle and preventing the nipple from becoming accidentally pulled ofi the neck of the bottle. The flexible and resilient nature of the skirt 95 of the nipple it will cause the ring or band I! to be tightly closed around the neck of the bottle, as shown-clearly in Figure 1, thereby providing a close and tight fit of the nipple over the neck of the bottle and at the same time holding the ring H in firm position and in tight engagement with the neck of the bottle, asshown in Figure 1.

When it is desired to lift the nipple out of engagement with the ring ii, the lower edge of the head it of the nipple may be gripped by the flnger of the operator, and by pulling the skirt Hi and bead it away from the flange it, the nipple may be easily removed from engagement with the neck of the bottle. When the nipple is in the position shown in Figure 1, however, the nipple will be firmly gripped and held against accidental displacement and will be so firmly held upon the neck of the bottle that an infant will not be able to disconnect the nipple from the neck of the bottle by pulling upon the bottle and gripping the nipple between its gums or between its teeth.

While it is preferable to provide the flange l8 with the notches ill to facilitate the downward bending of the flange it, it may be desired in some instances to provide a ring as is illustrated in Figures and 6, wherein the ring is indicated by the numeral 22 having an annular outwardly and downwardly inclined flange 23 of an unbroken nature, as is illustrated in detail in Figure 6. The ring 22 is split as at 24 to facilitate the expanding of the ring in order that the same may be placed over the neck of the bottle or removed when occasion requires. The flange 23 is adapted to overhang the head 25 of the nipple 2 in the same manner as that described with respect to Figure 1.

The bead l8, as shown in Figure 4, is formed along the upper edge of the ring or band H which is preferably formed of a flatresillent strip of material and the edges of the flange It may, if it is desired, be slightly rounded to prevent the cutting of the resilient bead l6 of the nipple. The notches I! are also preferably V- shaped tapering toward. the junction of the flange l8 with the body of the ring l'l.

It should be understood that certain detail changes in the construction of the device may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, so long as such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims. 7

Having described the invention, whatis claimed as new is:

1; As a new article of manufacture, a detachable nipple retaining resilient ring for use in connection with nursing bottles and the like consisting of a split band constituting a substantially vertical ring-like body adapted to loosely fit around the neck of a bottle, and an outwardly extending nipple retaining flange formed around one periphery of the ring.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a detachable nipple retaining ring for use in connection with nursing bottles and the like consisting of a fiat resilient band adapted to loosely fit around the neck of a bottle and having an outwardly and downwardly inclined nipple retaining flange along its upper periphery and adapted to overhang a nipple bead for retaining a nipple upon the neck of a bottle.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a detachable nipple retaining ring for use in connection with nursing bottles and the like consisting of a flat resilient band adapted to fit loosely around the neck of a bottle and having an outwardly and downwardly inclined nipple retaining flange along its upper periphery and adapted to overhang a nipple bead for retaining a nipple upon the neck of a bottle, said flange being notched throughout its circumference to provide a toothed-like nipple gripping means, and said band being split to-provide an expansible and contracting bottle-gripping means.

4. In combination with a bottle having a neck and a retaining bead, a flexible nipple fitted over said neck and retaining head, said flexible nipple having a thickened lower edge, a detachable expanding and contracting resilient split nipple retaining ring fitted over the neck of said bottle and having an outwardly and downwardly inclined flange along its upper periphery-for providing biting engagement with the thickened portion of said nipple whereby said nipple will be held against accidental removal from the neck of said bottle, the nipple being adapted to substantially cover the retaining ring when in position upon the bottle. V

5. As a new article of manufacture, a detachable nipple-retaining ring adapted to fit around the neck of a nursing bottle, said ring comprising a relatively thin fiat resilient body having a down-- wardly and outwardly bent resilient nipple-gripping flange formed integral with the body and inclined away from the body to produce a biting action upon a nipple to provide a nipple-retaining means, the body being adapted to normally fit loosely around the neck of a bottle and being adapted to contract and tightly fit around the neck of the bottle when engaged by a nursing nipple.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a nippleretaining ring comprising a split detachable ringlike' band adapted to fit around the neck of a bottle and under the conventional retaining bead thereof, said ring-like band having a backwardly bent nipple-gripping flange formed along one periphery of the band and being adapted to firmly grip the bead of a resilient nipple for firmly holding a nipple upon the neck of a nursing bottle.

YERVANT H. KURKJIAN. 

